Ukraine Russia latest news: Putin’s only aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov catches fire

The Biden administration announced Wednesday that it will provide $1.85 billion in military aid to Ukraine, rolling out funding for a Patriot missile battery as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is arriving in Washington for a first trip out of his country since Russia invaded in February.

• Zelensky told lawmakers in the soaring House of Representatives chamber on Wednesday he hoped they would continue to support Ukraine on a bipartisan basis – a major point as Republicans are due to take the majority in the House on 3 Jan.
• Zelensky said that a “just peace” with Russia means no compromises on his country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, and support for Ukraine was an investment in democracy.”
• His surprise visit to Washington where he met President Joe Biden, his first overseas trip since Russia invaded his country 300 days ago, started with a secretive train ride to Poland late on Tuesday.
• The United States announced $1.85 billion in additional military assistance for Ukraine, including a transfer of the Patriot Air Defense System. Kremlin said the system’s supplies would not contribute to settling the conflict or keep Russia from achieving its goals.
• The US Senate has advanced a government-funding bill that includes $44.9 billion in emergency assistance to Ukraine and NATO allies.

• Russian forces attacked targets in the Zaporizhzhia region and pushed to advance near the battered eastern front-line towns of Bakhmut and Avdiivka, the focal point of fighting in the Donetsk region, Ukraine‘s military said on Wednesday evening.
• Putin has promised to give his military whatever it needs to prosecute the war and backed a plan to boost the size of the armed forces by more than 30%.
• Ukraine’s power grid operator, Ukrenergo, reported a “significant power shortage” and restrictions caused by missile and drone attacks.

The Russian Defence Ministry said on Thursday that Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu had visited army units fighting in Ukraine, Russian state-owned news agency RIA reported.

RIA cited the ministry as saying that Shoigu had visited Russian units deployed to the “area of the special military operation”, using Moscow’s term for the conflict in Ukraine.

The agency It did not specify where the visit took place.

Mitch McConnell, unlike some of his more skeptical Republican colleagues, is throwing his full weight behind the Ukrainians defeating Russia.

“This is so important, the most important thing going on in the world is to beat the Russians in Ukraine,” he said on Wednesday. “Fortunately they have a leader that everyone can look up to and admire, and also it’s nice to have something here at the end of the year that we all actually agree on.”

President Vladimir Putin has said his armed force will be provided with anything they ask for, without financial limits, and that the hypersonic Sarmat missile – dubbed “Satan II” – would be ready for deployment in the near future. at an end-of-year meeting of Russia’s top defence chiefs.

The president also vowed Moscow would complete all the goals – without providing much detail – of its invasion of Ukraine, as he heralded Russian soldiers and defence chiefs as “heroes”.

Mr Putin said the Nato military alliance was using its full capabilities against Russia and urged the assembled military leaders to use their experience gained fighting in Syria and during the 10 months of the invasion in the new year. The president said that the combat readiness of the country’s nuclear forces must be assured, while the defence minister, Sergei Shoigu, added that the process of getting new weapon supplies to troops has been sped up.

Chris Stevenson has the details.

With just weeks until the ascendant Republican majority — complete with a renewed isolationist wing — seizes control of the House, Mr Zelensky’s visit is his last chance to mount an in-person charm offensive in hopes of keeping enough GOP House members convinced of the necessity of continuing — and increasing — US support in the coming years.

The chairman of the European Union’s 27 leaders Charles Michel and the head of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen will hold a summit with Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky on 3 February next year, an EU spokesman said on Thursday.

The location of the summit has not been determined yet.

“I can confirm the EU-Ukraine summit will take place on 3 February and there is an open invitation to President Zelensky to visit Brussels,” said Barend Leyts, spokesman for the chairman of EU leaders.

He said the invitation for Zelensky to visit Brussels did not mean that’s where the summit would be held.

Officials said the theme of the summit was likely to be how the EU can continue to support Ukraine against Russia. The leaders of the EU’s two key institutions – the Commission and the council of EU leaders – would also assess Ukraine’s path to membership in the bloc.

Zelensky has made regular appearances via video-link at EU summits since the start of the Russian invasion in February. He made his first in-person trip since the start of the war to Washington on Wednesday.

Russia said on Thursday that US supplies of Patriot missile systems to Ukraine, announced during Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s visit to Washington, would not contribute to settling the conflict or prevent Russia from achieving its goals.

In a call with reporters, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said of the Patriot shipment: “This is not conducive to a speedy settlement, quite the contrary. And this cannot prevent the Russian Federation from achieving its goals during the special military operation”, using Russia’s term for the war.

Peskov said that there had been no calls for peace or signs of willingness to “listen to Russia’s concerns” during Zelenskiy’s visit on Wednesday, proving that the United States was fighting a proxy war with Russia “to the last Ukrainian”.

Congress is considering a $1.7 trillion government funding, with supporters pointing to a visit by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky this week as another reason to advance the measure in a show of support for the beleaguered nation.

The measure includes $44.9 billion in emergency assistance to Ukraine and NATO allies, above even President Joe Biden’s emergency request, and ensures that funding flows to the war effort for months to come. The measure would also boost U.S. defense spending by about 10% to $858 billion, addressing concerns from some lawmakers that more investment in the nation’s military is needed to ensure America’s security.

Both houses will need to pass the measure before midnight Friday to avoid a partial-government shutdown.

The European Union’s 27 heads of state and government and Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky will hold a summit in February next year, but the location has not been determined.

“I can confirm the EU-Ukraine summit will take place on 3 February and there is an open invitation to President Zelenskiy to visit Brussels,” said Barend Leyts, spokesman for the chairman of EU leaders.

The spokesman said the invitation for President Zelensky to visit Brussels did not mean that’s where the summit would be held.

Officials said the theme of the summit was likely to be how the EU can continue to support Ukraine against Russia. Leaders would also assess Ukraine’s path to membership in the bloc.

President Zelensky has made regular appearances via video-link at EU summits since the start of the Russian invasion in February. He made his first in-person trip since the start of the war to Washington on Wednesday.